


A New Family

by Miscellaneous_mess



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bad Parent Emilie Agreste, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Blood, Boss/Employee Relationship, Child Abuse, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Divorce, F/M, Family, Ice Cream, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Minor Original Character(s), Minor Violence, No Sex, No Smut, Oneshot, Past Child Abuse, Protective Nathalie Sancoeur, Requested fic, gabenath, oblivious gabriel agreste, requested on Wattpad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:20:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29903067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miscellaneous_mess/pseuds/Miscellaneous_mess
Summary: Requested by hawkyura on WattpadEmilie has never cared for her husband nor her son who is now five. She spends everything that her husband makes only on herself. Gabriel, blinded by love, can’t see this. Nathalie isn’t blinded by love and sees right through Emilie’s act. It doesn’t surprise Nathalie to find out that Emilie is cheating on Gabriel, but how can she tell him when is so oblivious to everything going on?
Relationships: Emilie Agreste/Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur
Kudos: 15





	A New Family

**Author's Note:**

> TRIGGER WARNING
> 
> Minor depictions of v!olence and blo0d  
> Child abus3

Emilie handed the credit card, the one her husband's name, over to the clerk. Emilie was always a firm believer in 'pampering' herself, and with Gabriel Agreste as her husband, she was able to frequently. 

Nathalie Sancoeur, who had been hired as Gabriel's assistant before Adrien was born, had quickly caught on to how odd the relationship was. Bringing a child into the mix was certainly not the way to solve any of the issues and Nathalie falling in love with Gabriel didn't make her situation easier. 

Nathalie continued as a bystander. She watched as Emilie spent every euro that Gabriel made. Her closet was overflowing with clothes from the Gabriel brand as well as many others. Her makeup counter, a mess with every product that she could buy. Her shoes scattered around the house because there wasn't enough space in her personal closet. Emilie Agreste was not a good person.

On top of all that, the way Emilie treated Adrien was awful. The poor kid was rarely let outside and didn't interact with anyone else his age besides the already bratty Bourgeois girl. Nathalie had even witnessed Emilie smacking her son once when throwing a tantrum. Emilie didn't buy her kid anything while she was out. No, Emilie Agreste was not a good person. 

What was Nathalie supposed to do? Gabriel was oblivious to everything Emilie did. Nathalie had been at one point too but she couldn't ignore all the hints before her as Gabriel did.

On a night out, she was surprised to see Emilie in the same bar. But to no surprise, Gabriel wasn't with her. It hadn't been ten minutes before Emilie started making out with another guy. She felt helpless, it's not like she could have talked sense into Emilie, and Gabriel wouldn't believe her. Nathalie took a quick picture of the scene before her and left the bar. Maybe it was a one-time thing, yes that must have been it, Emilie would feel bad and go home and apologize. 

Emilie didn't even come home that night. Nathalie shouldn't have cared, it wasn't her relationship to fix. She shouldn't have been meddling in her boss's and his wife's love life. 

Nathalie, despite her better judgment, started tracking Emilie's location more frequently. She found her at the same address most nights, an apartment complex. She contemplated again and again about telling Gabriel. Neither Adrien nor he deserved this life, but she worried about sounding jealous. Emilie had many people that envied her and with Gabriel's status, it wasn't uncommon for girls to fawn over him, though Nathalie hoped she never came across that way. 

"Nathalie?" Gabriel asked one night.  
"Yes, sir?" Nathalie's posture straightened at the sound of Gabriel's voice, she had been slightly hunched over her tablet viewing the schedule for tomorrow's events.   
"Do you know where Emilie is?"  
Nathalie didn't hesitate when she lied, "no, sir."  
"I'm worried, she has been out almost every night this month."   
"Maybe it's time you confront her about it if it's bothering you?" Nathalie suggested.  
"No, I'm sure I'm getting paranoid over nothing," Gabriel insisted and went to leave.  
"She's cheating on you!" Nathalie blurted.  
Nathalie mentally cursed herself, she hadn't really planned out telling Gabriel, but she certainly didn't mean to like that. She put her head down wishing she could take back her words now. 

"Excuse me?" Gabriel said, turning back around.  
Nathalie cursed under her breath again before looking up at Gabriel again, "I saw her at a bar a few months ago and saw her make out with a guy. Then when she didn't come here that night, I kind of started tracking her location and she goes to the same apartment complex every night."   
"Well, congratulations, Nathalie, you earned yourself a road trip."   
"What do you mean, sir?"  
"You're taking me to where you say she always is."

Nathalie bit her lip as she drove, it was a nervous habit she had picked up as a teen years ago. She hadn't meant for it all to spill out like that. Not that she ever planned to tell Gabriel but if she did, it would have been in a much more proper fashion and not just blurting out the truth. Nathalie didn't even know what apartment they were in but as she watched Gabriel talk to the front desk attendant, she quickly realized that didn't matter. Gabriel Agreste was capable of getting whatever he wanted, with very little to no exception. 

Following him into the elevator and then down a hall, she watched as he began banging on a door. When it opened, he quickly punched the man in the face. Nathalie sat and watched as blood dripped down his face and down Gabriel's knuckles. 

"Keep my wife! You both clearly don't care that she's married!" Gabriel shouted.   
Emilie came out to see the commotion and was shocked to see Gabriel and ignored Nathalie.

"Gabe, I-"  
"I don't want to hear a word you have to say! This is where you have been every night and I'm done," he said and took his wedding band off letting it drop to the floor.   
"You were nice money while it lasted!" Emilie spit, the truth finally out in the open, "You can keep the brat too, what's his name? Adyen?"  
"It's Adrien," Gabriel said and left.   
Nathalie, who had barely comprehend what had happened, felt as though she was scampering after Gabriel as he left.

"I'm sorry, sir," Nathalie said as they arrived back at the Agreste mansion.  
Gabriel didn't even respond.  
She was sorry, while she knew Gabriel and Emilie's relationship wasn't likely to last, she never wanted to be the one that ended it. Nathalie didn't want it to blow up the way that it did either, but now it was too late for regrets. 

Nathalie frowned, trying to think of something to cheer her boss up. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a tub of ice cream. Handing it to Gabriel with a spoon she said, "it helps after heartbreak, I promise."   
Looking up and giving her a small smile he said, "thank you, Nathalie." 

"What am I supposed to do with Adrien?" he asked after a long pause of silence in which he had eaten close to half the carton.  
"I am here for you, sir. I'll help you."   
"Thanks, Nathalie. You have always been there for me."  
"Of course, sir, I'd do anything for you," Nathalie said with a small smile, meaning it completely.   
"Is there anything else you need to tell me? About her?" Gabriel asked.  
Nathalie bit her lip.

"Nathalie," Gabriel warned, he wanted the truth.  
"I've seen her hit Adrien," Nathalie quickly admitted.  
"She's hit our son?"  
Nathalie nodded.

"When?"  
"I only saw it once. I didn't know what their argument was about but Adrien was crying, I saw her slap him, and he cried even harder. I don't know what happened after that or if it ever happened again."   
"And you didn't tell me this until now?"  
"I didn't think you would believe. You just seemed to always be blinded by your love for her that I didn't even bother."   
Gabriel signed, he knew it was the truth and couldn't blame Nathalie for thinking like that because he wouldn't have believed her if he hadn't just caught Emilie cheating. 

"How do I tell Adrien? He's five, how is supposed to understand that his mom left?"   
"Right now he's not going to understand. You just have to tell that his mom left and that she isn't coming back."   
"You could be his mom," Gabriel suggested.  
Nathalie paused and blinked a few times trying to debate whether she heard him correctly.  
"I just meant like you could help me raise him," Gabriel clarified.   
"Oh, yes of course," Nathalie agreed.

Sitting rambunctious little Adrien down was hard, to say the least, and he was very confused about what it meant for his mom to have left. It's not as though they could really explain what it meant for Emilie to have been cheating, and trying to explain by saying things like 'your mom kissed another man while she was married to your dad' wasn't a much better option. Adrien had no problem calling Nathalie his new mom though. 

A few days later, Nathalie took young Adrien to the store. She planned to get him the things Emilie never bothered to get him. A pair of shoes that fit well, a new toy or two, and he needed his hair cut. 

"Are you and daddy going to kiss like him and my old mom used to do?" Adrien asked Nathalie.  
"I-" Nathalie blushed, "don't say that around your father, he still misses your mom."   
"Well, I like you, you aren't mean. Daddy should like you too. Do you like my dad?"  
Nathalie signed, "of course, I like your father, but I have to respect that he still likes your mom."   
"I want this one!" Adrien said, pulling a doll off a nearby shelf.   
"You like the dolls?" Nathalie asked him.  
"My old mommy never let me play with them," he pouted, "sometimes Chloé lets me play with hers but SHE was never happy when she found out."  
"You can play with whatever toys you want," Nathalie smiled, "if you want the doll, you can have her."  
Adrien hugged her legs, "thank you, mom."   
Nathalie ruffled the young boy's hair, "if you're good for a haircut then we can get ice cream on the way home, how does that sound?"  
"You're the best mom ever!" Adrien exclaimed.  
Nathalie giggled at the child's excitement but felt bad that he never felt this way with his birth mom.

"Are you alright, sir?" Nathalie asked when they arrived back home.  
Adrien was bouncing with a sugar rush from the ice cream that Nathalie got him and immediately opened the box that his doll came in. Sitting down in front of the coffee table, he happily played with his new doll.

"Cut the formality, Gabriel or Gabe is fine," he said as Nathalie took a spot next to him.   
They watched as Adrien played with his doll on the rug in front of them. Nathalie scouted closer and Gabriel leaned onto her shoulder.

"You never answered the question," Nathalie pointed out.  
"I'm fine," he said and then his volume lowered to a whisper, "is Adrien upset?"  
"I don't think it ever really set in. It might in his later years but I don't think it's going to now."   
"Thank you, Nathalie. I don't know how I could do this without you."   
"Of course, s-Gabriel."

He gave a small smile and looked at her, really at her, for the first time. Her eyes, an enchanting blue. Her hair tied in its bun, the red which stood out in the sea of blue. Her lips, painted with a red stain. His eyes stopped on her lips wondering what they would feel like against his. He shouldn't have been thinking like that but it didn't stop him from leaning in and giving her a gentle kiss. A blush quickly covered Nathalie's face but Adrien was more than happy to have witnessed the sight before him. While he still found kissing to be gross, as most kids did, he knew there was some significance behind it.

"I thought you said daddy didn't like you?" Adrien said, confused.   
"You thought I didn't like you?" Gabriel asked, confused, as well, now.  
"I just- I never thought you would kiss me," Nathalie said, still shocked about what happened.  
"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I was caught up in my own thoughts. I shouldn't have done that."  
Nathalie, not letting herself think twice, kissed Gabriel again. The immediate reciprocation made sure she didn't regret no matter what might happen afterward. Well, part of her didn't regret it as much.

"I shouldn't- you're vulnerable and- I should go," Nathalie stuttered running to her room.   
"Dad, is mom going to leave us again?" Adrien asked, almost crying.  
"No, son, she isn't," Gabriel promised him and went off in the direction Nathalie had gone. 

"Nath?" Gabriel called while knocking on her door.   
"It's okay, I'll leave without a fight," she said, not bothering to open the door.  
"Nathalie, don't leave, please. Adrien needs you," he took a deep breath, "I need you!"  
Nathalie opened the door, her blotchy face giving away that she had allowed herself to cry. 

Gabriel cupped her face with a hand and stroked his thumb across her tear-stained cheek.   
"We need you, Nathalie. I can't lose you and Adrien needs his mom."  
"I'm not his mom, I'm not your wife, and I'm not anyone's replacement."   
"No, you're not but we both need you here Nathalie, you're stability, you keep us sane."  
"I still shouldn't have kissed you, you're not over your wife."  
"It was a mistake on both our parts, it's okay, really Nathalie. Just please don't leave," Gabriel now had a begging tone to his voice.  
"Please don't leave, mom," Adrien's small voice came from behind Gabriel. He sounded scared, worried, and on the verge of tears.   
Nathalie got down on her knees, "come here, Adrien."  
Adrien followed her direction. 

Nathalie hugged the boy, "I'm not leaving, I promise."   
Adrien hugged his mom back happily and sniffled a bit.

"Why don't we all watch a movie?" Gabriel suggested.   
"Can I pick? Can I pick?" Adrien begged.  
"Of course you can," Nathalie agreed and picked Adrien up and carried him to the couch. 

Nathalie and Gabriel settled tiny Adrien in between them as they started to play Adrien's chosen movie. Within the first half-hour, Adrien was asleep across Nathalie's lap and she insisted that she didn't mind. She wasn't going to disturb Adrien by trying to carry him to his room and he was fine where he was for now. Gabriel, who didn't want to risk changing the movie in case Adrien woke up, shrugged if that's what Nathalie wanted, he wasn't going to argue. Nathalie fell asleep halfway through the movie. When Gabriel finally stood up after the movie was over he saw Nathalie laying horizontally on the comfortable couch with Adrien cuddled close to her chest. He smiled, took off Nathalie's glasses, placed them on the nearby coffee table, and put a blanket over her and Adrien.

The next morning, Gabriel woke up early and began sketching his family. They were anything but a typical family but he liked it this way. Nathalie was shocked when her blurring morning vision saw Gabriel with an open sketchbook, and a pencil in hand. 

"Stay still, I'm almost done," Gabriel told her.  
Nathalie was confused but didn't have enough energy to protest.   
"There!" Gabriel exclaimed quietly, as to not wake Adrien though.   
"Can you get me a coffee now?" Nathalie requested. 

Gabriel gently kissed Nathalie's nose as he handed her the coffee. She sat up slightly to drink but not enough to disturb Adrien. Gabriel then slid her glasses onto her face and brushed some of her fallen hair out of the way. He certainly wouldn't mind waking up to the site of a slightly scattered Nathalie every morning.

After about a year after Emilie's death, Nathalie finally agreed to go on a date with Gabriel. This had been the time it had taken for Nathalie to be sure that Gabriel wasn't vulnerable and just seeking a rebound as he mourned over finding out his wife had cheated on him. 

Nathalie was far from Emilie. While Emilie pretended to be sweet and pleasant, Nathalie was often sarcastic and could sass anyone who questioned her. Nathalie cared for Adrien more than Emilie ever would and Nathalie didn't go out shopping every day spending every penny that Gabriel made. They weren't a typical couple, nor a typical family but they wouldn't have it any other way. Adrien, who still had a few more years until he fully processed why his birth mom left, couldn't have been happier to see the people he called mom and dad finally together.

**Author's Note:**

> On a semi-unrelated note, I think if Gabenath happened earlier in Adrien's life, like it did in this fic, then Adrienette could happen much more naturally. I assume Nathalie would convince Gabriel to let Adrien live a more normal life and he would start attending public school much earlier. This would give Marinette time to develop a much healthier and less stalker-like crush. Going to school would also help Adrien be able to better distinguish between romantic and platonic feelings.


End file.
